The Life and Adventures of Maj. Roger Sherman Potter eBook

“They held their peace, and drank with great
apparent experience. I did not dispute my companion’s
assertion, that they had rendered noble service during
many a campaign, and were capable of rendering much
more; still, my opinion of politicians in general was
in no way heightened by their appearance. Being
disappointed in their ends and aims at the last election,
they now stood much in need of a trifle, with which
to pay Bishop Hughes for praying a recently-deceased
brother through purgatory, a service he never performed
without feeling the money safe in his palm. All
at once they set up a howl like midnight wolves, which
so alarmed me that I hastened into the street, where
my companion soon joined me, saying it was a way they
had of expressing a joke. Not being accustomed
to the ways of working politicians of the New York
school, I made my way as fast as possible into Broadway,
when, to my surprise, I discovered that my watch had
parted company with me. My companion was equally
surprised, offered me any number of regrets, and said
he would go back and have every political vagabond
arrested and locked up in the Tombs, where, if his
acquaintance with the judge was not of too intimate
a nature, the thief would be detected and punished
in the morning.

“Pausing for a moment, a second thought, he
said, satisfied him that to seek redress by so bold
a course would not be good policy. The thief
would have gone off with his booty, hence it would
be better to remain quiet until morning, when, having
come back to hold consultation with his fellows on
some question of politics, as was customary with them,
the services of a detective would do the rest.
Just as we were debating this subject a well-dressed
man advanced toward us, and, stooping down, picked
up a corpulent pocket-book, with the possession of
which he seemed not at all easy. ‘Friend,’
said the man, ’I am an honest Quaker, can’st
thou tell me if thou art the owner of this, for I
leave for my home in Albany in the morning, and want
not to be burdened with it.’ After an exchange
of civilities that satisfied me he was a gentleman,
I told him it was none of mine. He insisted however,
that I take possession of it, and in the morning pursue
measures to have it restored to its rightful owner.”
And what followed will be recorded in the next chapter.

CHAPTER VI.

WhatbefellmajorRodgerPotter,
andhowhefoundhimselfoutwitted.

Knowing how well modesty becomes greatness, I
listened with profound attention to the major’s
story. Every now and then he would relieve my
feelings by suggesting that the most interesting part
of it was yet to come. We had now pursued our
journey some fifteen miles under a burning sun, when
we came to a running spring, beside which the major
drew up his team, and, dismounting, proceeded to fill